potting a Hypericum cutting

[emmao]

Hello

I have a cutting of a Hypericum which I am very keen to pot. It has been growing in water for infact a couple of weeks and I'm very keen to know what the best thing is to do with it. If there are any suggestions please let me know. Silly as it seems I have sentimental attachments to this particular plant and I'm keen to grow from these cuttings. I should state, incase it's not obvious that I have little/no gardening experience. I unfortunately don't have a garden but could keep it in a pot on our balcony. I do live in Scotland so it may be a bit too nippy for outside at the moment - I'm not sure. Currently sitting by the window.

Best,

Emma

[Paul Narramore]

Emma
Leave it in water until you have a fair number of roots then pot up into some potting compost keeping it indoors until the weather warms up. It will eventually grow too large for the pot so you must consider where it must go. Do you have a yard or a balcony? It's common name is 'Rose of Sharon'.

[emmao]

Thanks very much Paul. Can you suggest how long it might take for the roots to grow in water? I had thought I might have seen some beginnings of roots by now but there's nothing going on (beyond the growth of new shoots - which I am pleased is happening!). Should I 'prune' the new grows at all to prevent them from becoming long and spindly? Also would you ever add a tiny touch of feed to the water?

Emma

[Paul Narramore]

Emma
We are in the middle of winter so don't expect too much at present. Just about everything is dormant. By March or April it should then have a nice bunch of roots. No, don't feed nor trim any roots when they appear. You'll know when the right time to pot the cutting is. Just use general purpose potting compost in say a 4" pot and once the cold weather abates, leave it outside in a sheltered spot. It'll soon race away. :)

[emmao]

Thanks very much Paul. I shall learn to be patient!
One last question though - are there any basic things I should be doing beyond regular change of water so it doesn't become stagnant and removing any dead leaves that fall into the water. On the pruning side of things I was thinking of the green shoots that are appearing rather than any roots - but I'm presuming now that I should leave well alone?

Best

Emma

[Paul Narramore]

Leave well alone Emma, of course don't allow dead leaves to contaminate the water and just let it get on with it. My late mother used to grow all sorts of cuttings by placing them in water (and Oasis) such as fuchsias. Really it's better to wait until the spring to start with cuttings - good luck with yours. Now fuchsias do really well in water. As you are a beginner, no need ever to buy fuchsias, just chat up friends/neighbours for cutting material, the smaller the better. I've grown fuchsias from just two pairs of leaves on 1/2" of stem pushed into seed compost or Oasis with an upturned plastic 1/2 pint beer glass over the top. Plants for free!

[emmao]

Thanks for the tips Paul. Fuchias are another plant I'm sentimental about as my grandparents used to grow them. I may have to chat up the owners of their old property and take your advice on growing them!

Great to have a forum like this to checks things on.

[emmao]

Back again
My cutting seems to be on it's last legs! Any final thoughts. Have left it pretty much alone - topping up water and taking out dead leaves and that's it. Any revival suggestions?

Best,

Emma

[Neil Bromhall]

Hi Emma,
I'm not the expert like some of our other contributors to this forum but I do know that the ambient temperature should not be too hot and dry so don't place your cutting above a radiator as this will dry out the leaves.
I think that the cutting should be put on a window shelf but not in full sun

I think that you're supposed to remove most of the leaves as this is where the plant looses most of it's water. It sounds that if you're removing dead leaves that maybe there were too many to start with.

Maybe others can advise but would covering the cutting with a plastic bag be a good as it keeps the plant warm and moist.

Neil

[Miranda]

I think Emma's cutting is in water rather than compost, Neil, though your guidance is right for cuttings in compost.

I'm wondering if the cutting isn't taking simply because it isn't really the right time of year for it to be propagated. The method often used for Hypericums is semi-ripe cuttings, which are taken in mid to late-summer so, if you can, you might be better to take another cutting then and have another go. I have a page on it here: http://www.wildchicken.com/nature/garden/ga003_semi-ripe_cuttings.htm.

Don't give up on the cutting in water yet - sometimes they lose all their leaves and still eventually produce roots. Sometimes they just take ages to root - a cutting I was given in September took till the end of December to form roots!

[Paul Narramore]

Emma
If you one fails, I will take a number of Hypericum cuttings in the spring and will send any which take on to you. What works for me is to take half a dozen and place them in gritty compost around the edge of a pot.
Another way is to look for a 'Dutchman's Cutting' or 'Frenchman's Cutting' - someone will correct me - and that is a seedling with roots often found very close to the mother plant. When I've time, I'll look at my plant to see if there any.
Don't lose heart Emma, some just won't take, but when they do, it's always a thrill.